Apparatus for arc welding



June 1946- L. K. STRINGHAM APPARATUS FOR ARC WELDING Filed July 13, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. LEONIDAS KSTRINGHAM BY M, 9

ATTORNEYS June 25, 1946- K. STRINGHAM APPARATUS FOR ARC WELDING 3 sheets-sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1943 l .H l L INVENTOR. LEONIDAS K. STRINGHAM BY m, j 19m,

ATTORNEYS June 25, 1946. sTRmGHAM 2,402,937

APPARATUS FOR ARC WELDING Filed July 13, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. LEONIDAS K.STRINGHAM ATTORNEYS Patented June 25, 1946 APPARATUS FOR ARC WELDING.

Leonidas K. Stringham, University Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Lincoln Electric Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of'Ohio Application July 13, 1943, Serial No. 494,454

The present improvements, relating as indicated to arc welding, have more. particular regard to arc welding in which a metallic weld rod is used in conjunction with a layer of flux deposited alongthe line to be welded. Still more particularly, although not limited thereto, said improvements have regard to that system .or method of arc welding in which a weld rod or wire is designed to be led continuously to the work.

Apparatus designed ior operation in the last mentioned manner necessarily requires close correlation between the rate at which the arc is traversed relatively to the work and the rate at which the weld rod is fed to the work; and, so far as I am' aware, such mode of operation has heretoiore only been found practicable in so-called automatic types of welders, in which there is lacking the flexibility provided by so-called hand welding, as where a weld rod carried in a suit- 20 to be carried out manually through a deep layer able holder is manipulated by the operator. A serious objection to such hand welding is of course the limitation imposed on the length of the weld rod which can be utilized and the necessity'ior replenishing such weld rod at intervals, together with the loss of material represented by the unused remnants of the weld rods.

Further difllculty is encountered where a deep layer of flux is laid on the work along the seam or line tobe welded, since in such case the arc is concealed from view, or submerged. In automatic welding through such a deep flux layer, it has heretofore been the practice to deposit the flux as a continuously maintained mass which rests on the surface of the work, and is then scraped offend shaped, as theoperation proceeds, to form a so-called windrow of predetermined contour and dimensions. Such procedure is obviously impractical, when the welding device is freely manipulated by the operator, instead of being automatically moved relatively to the work at a predetermined rate of speed.

I have discovered that. particularly where the welding operation is thus carried on through a 8 Claims. 219-8) 2 advantage of flexibility of operation inherent in the latter.

One principal object of the present invention accordingly is to provide a method and apparatus for manual arc welding in which the rate of the traversing movement of the weld rod .end may be readily and accurately correlated with the rate at which a layer of flux is deposited along the lineto be-welded.

10 A further object is to provide a welding apparatus in which a weld rod or weld wire of indefinite length may be continuously fed, e. g. from 8 reel, to the point where the arc is established and the welding being done, while still permitting the end of the weld rod, or in other words the arc, to be manipulated with substantially the same degree of freedom enjoyed in so-called hand welding. l t

A still iurther object is to enable arc welding of flux disposed along the line to be welded.

Other, more specific, objects of the invention are to provide improved means for feeding flux to the work simultaneously with the feeding o! the weld rod or wire; to provide for such feeding of the flux in substantially unconfined or free falling condition, so that time becomes a factor in determining the thickness, or depth, oi the deposited layer; and to provide for the automatic 0 stopping of such flux feed, whenever the weldin operation is stopped.

It is noted that claims to the method aspect of my invention have been required to be divided out of the present application and have been presented in my copending application illed March ticularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain means and one mode of carrying out the invention. such disclosed means and mode illustrating, however, but one of vard p yer of flu t rat of d posi of s h. 48 ions ways in which the principle oi. the inven- 1 have mailer discovered that wherein addition to thus regulating the traversing movement of the weld rod end provision is made for automatically ieedingthe weld .rod toward the work so as to maintain the arc length constant, practically all o! the advantages of automatic machine welding are obtainable in hand welding, with the added 4! Fig. 3 is a vertical section'oi another portion of 7 tion may be used.

In said annexed drawings: Flg. I is a. side elevation more or less diagrammatic in character of one form of apparatus '0 embodying my present improvements and adapted l to'carry out'my improved process of arc welding: Fig. 2 is a section of one rtion of such apparatus, the planeot suchsection beingv indicated by the line 2 '2, Fig.

the apparatus located to the right of that shown in Fig. 2 and the plane of the section being at right angles to the plane of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of still another part the apparatus, the plane of the section being indicated by the line H, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section or the same part taken on a lower plane, as indicated by the line I-I.F1g.1:

Fig. 6 is a vertical section as indicated by the line H, Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 represents diagrammatically an arrangement of arc welding and control circuits, where D. 0. current is employed.

Referring to Fig. 1, the illustrative form of apparatus there shown is intended to constitute a self-contained portable welding unit which may be readily moved as a whole from one part of a shop or plant to another. In addition, such apparatus includes means for movably and flexibly supporting what may be termed a welding ,tool so that the latter may be employed in a welding operation anywhere within a considerable area without mo ng e pparatus as a whole. As previously indicated, the apparatus includes means not only for feeding an indefinite length of weld rod or wire to the point where the welding operation is being carried out. but also for simultaneoualy supplying a granular fluxlng material which may be deposited as a deep layer along the line being welded. Associated with the fore- Iolng are various control means some of which are manual and others automatic. In particular, the feeding of the weld rod toward the work is automatically eflfected in accordance with the voltage across the are so as to maintain the arc length constant even though the operator does not maintain a constant distance between the work and the welding tool or electrode holder.

In such illustrative form of apparatus the several component mechanisms are mounted on a truck body or wheeled support I, provided with a handle 2 or equivalent means whereby the support may be moved about from place to place on the shop floor. However, it will be understood that said support will be stationary when a welding operation is in progress, 1. e. the support will at least not ordinarily be moved durin such operation.

Mounted on the support adjacent its one end is a control generator 3, the interconnection of which with the welding and other circuits involved is shown in Fig. '7, presently to be described. Accordingly, save for the main conduc- -tor I whereby the welding current is conducted to the portable welding tool or electrode holder, all wiring is omitted from Fig. 1.

Mounted on support I adjacent its other end is a vertical post or column 5 which is rotatable about a vertical axis provided by a suitable bearing mounting i and which is provided with means such as a disk or polygonal plate 1 secured to its lower end and having edge contact with a flat spring 8 on support 1, whereby said post may be held in any one of a plurality of rotative positions about its axis.

The upper end oi. the post terminates in a U-shaped bracket 9 between the arms or which is mounted for oscillatory movement in a vertical plane a horizontally extending arm Ill. The latter is preferably in the form of a tube within which is disposed a screw l 0' by rotation of which granular fluxing material supplied to the tubular arm maybe conveyed from the end thereof adjacent the post to its outer end.

Such material is thus supplied to tubular arm II from a hopper [2, the lower V-shaped portion of which (see Fig. 2) is firmly connected to tubular arm Ill and has a slotted opening 13 which communicates with the interior of the latter. This hopper further serves as the means of pivotal connection between the arm and bracket 3, the

, hopper being connected with the latter through the arms of said bracket.

aligned pivotal bearings ll in the upper ends 01 Connected with the short end of the arm which projects beyond hopper il is a coun erweight l5 preferably in the form or a receptacl in which sand or the like may be placed so no to closely balance the oppositely extending longer portion 'of the arm t0- gether with the mec anism carried by the latter. An electric mc I which serves to drive the screw H throu-n suitable worm gearing I1 is also mounted on such shorter end of the tubular arm II and serves as part of such counterweight.

Secured to the outer end or the longer portion of tubular arm III as by a T coupling 2| is a flexible tube ll of approximately the same diameter as that of said tubular arm and of such length that its lower end will approximately reach the floor or other level on which the truck I rests. It will be understood, however, that where the welding operation is to be carried on at a higher level, as on a bench or table, than the floor on which the truck rests, said flexible tube 2|, may be correspondingly shortened.

Concentrically supported within such depending flexible tube 2| is asecond flexible tube 22 (see Figs. 3 and 4) through which the weld rod or wire R is guided downwardly to the work, such weld rod being taken from a reel 23 mounted on the post or column 5, thence carried upwardly through-one or more guides 24 to a feeding mechanism 25 mounted on the upper face of the T coupling 20 which serves to connect the outer end of tubular arm ill with the depending flexible tube 2 l, as described above. Such teed mechanism 2 5 includes a pair of feed rolls 2! and an electric motor 2! which is adapted to drive the same through suitable gearing, not shown, since the details or the feed mechanism form no part of the present invention.

Suitably mounted in the lower end of depending flexible tube 2| are two opposed electrodes or contact members 30 between which the weld rod or wire R passes as it emerges from the inner flexible guide tube 22, The conductor 4 which supplies the welding current is directly connected with these respective electrodes or contacts (see Figs. 5 and 6) the one such electrode being transversely movable towards the other under spring pressure, as shown in Fig. 6, so as to insure proper contact with the weld rod passing therebetween. These electrodes are 01' course electrically insulated from both the outer flexible tube 2| and the inner guide tube 22 and the latter will itself be desirably made of non-conducting material.

As shown in Fig. 4, there is a substantial annular space between the two tubes, and the electrodes or contacts 30 flll only a portion of such space so that a substantial segmental area is left clear on each side thereof through which granular fluxing material, discharged by screw ll into the upper end of the flexible tube 2!, may in turn be freely discharged onto the work adjacent the lower end of the weld rod or wire R as it emerges. If desired, one or the other of the openings, through which the flux is thus deposited along the seam to be welded, may be closed and such flux correspondingly deflected in relation to the weld rod. Spaced, parallel plates 3I attached to the lower end of tube 2I serve as additional 'means for directing the placement of the flux by preventing undue lateral spreading of themerged. One, or both, of plates 3| may be provided-with an opening 3Ib, forming a peep-hole, through which the operator may more readily observe not only the height of the flux layer as it is deposited, but also the degree of submergence of the weld rod end in such layer.

Clips 4a serve to attach the depending portion of the conductor 4 to the depending flexible tube 2I so that the former will be held closely to the latter despite any swinging or bending movement that'may be imparted. To facilitate manipulation of the lower end of the flexible tube 2 I, which with the corresponding lower portion of the inner guide tube 22 and the contact members 30, constitutes the welding tool, one Or more handles 32 may be provided, being adjustably clamped on such tube 2| adjacent its lower end. A box or panel 33 attached to post 5 above reel 23 carries the necessary switches for controlling motors I6 and 21, as well as certain parts of the control mechanism, now to be described, whereby operation of said motor 21 is automatically regulated to maintain the proper arc length between the lower end of weld rod or wire R and the work.

Referring to Fig. 'I where'the motor 21 which thus feeds the weld rod or wire as well as other parts of the apparatus are wholly diagrammatically shown, the welding generator 35, it will be seen, has one lead 35 which is connected with thesupport S on which the work, shown as two plates which are to be-welded together along jux taposed edges, rests. The other lead 31 from generator 35, corresponding with the conductor 4 in the previously described figures, is of course connected with the contact members 30 which engage the lower end of electrode R. asit is fed downwardly to the work. i

A constant voltage supply line comprising leads 3. and 39 is provided, connected to a convenient external source of constant voltage, e. g. 115 v.,

and the held. 40 of generator 35 is connected across said leads through a series rheostat 4| and a relay switch 42, the latter being controlled by means of a push button circuit generally indicated at 43. The-armature of motor 21 which drives the weld rod feed rolls 2B is connectedin parallel with the are by means of leads 44 and 45, and the field winding 48 of said motor is connected across leads 38 and 38 of the external circult or supply line. While, if desired, an adjustable rheostat maybe included in the connections of such fleld winding, for most purposes .none will be required,

A series relay switch 44a, included in lead 38,

serves to control the supply of current through leads 44 and 45, and thus the actuation of weld rod feed motor 21.

Connected in series'with the motor 21 and the lead 45 is a generator 41 which is one component of a conventional motor generator set, the motor 48 ofQwhich is connected across leads 49 and 50 constituting an external supply line. The fleld 5| of generator 41 is connected by means of leads 52 and 53 across supply lines 38 and 3!, an adjustable rheostat 54 being included as shown. A relay switch 55 may also be included in the lead 45, as shown, being connected in parallel with the relay 42 in the push button circuit I2, as an alternative means to relay switch 44a for controlling the supply of current to weld rod feed motor 21.

Still another relay switch 56 is connected in 2 as to its mechanical components and the electrical circuits just described, will now be set forth. Assuming the work-pieces W to be set up and suitably secured to the support S and the apparatus on its support I to be located in convenient relation thereto, with the counterweighted arm I0 disposed so as to extend in the desired direction from-such support I, the operator. by means of the handle on the lower end of depending flexible tube 2|, will move the welding tool, or in other words, the lower projecting end of the electrode R, into desired position to start the weld. Such movement is readily accomplished by reason of the free up and down swinging movement of which arm I8 is capable and the flexible character of the tube 2|.

motor I6, whereby feed screw II is operated and granular fluxing material is conveyed at a predetermined rate from hopper I2 'to the upper end erator 35 so that the arc will strike when the operator touches the work with the electrode. Also, if relay switch 55 be utilized, the circuit through leads 44 and 45 What the same time be closed. However, it is preferred to .utilize series switch 44a for the purpose, as this will result in the weld rod feed motor starting at the instant the arc is struck. In this manner, sufllcient flux may accumulate before the arc is struck or before the weld rod starts to feed.

After the arc is struck the proper arc length will then be'automatically maintained, assuming that the voltage generated by generator 41 has been properly adj'usted'by varying the strength of the field -5I by means of rheostat 54. In other words, the voltage thus generated will be constant arc voltage and the voltage across said generator I 41. These two voltages, being in opposition to each other, when the voltage. across the arc reaches that generated by generator 41 (proper allowance being made 0! course .for the usual voltage drops involved in equipment of this kind) Thereupon push button 43 is pressed, starting a 7 there will be no voltage applied'across the terminals of the armature of motor 21.

accordingly. when relay switches 42 and a (or II) are closed with the electrode out 01' contact with the work, the voltage across the armature of motor 21 will be the diii'erence between the open circuit voltage of the current generator II and that generated by generator 41, e. g. it such open circuit voltage is 90 v. and that oi the generator is 30 v., then a resultant or so v. will be impressed across the armature or motor 21. Assuming that the normal armature voltage of the motor 21, dmned as that at which the electrode willbefedattherateatwhichitwill normallybeconsumedismwhenthearc voltage is 35 v., the actual voltage across the motorwillbeequaltothealgebraicsumot the arc voltage and the generator voltage. and under normal operating. conditions this will be equal to the'normal armature voltage.

The motor 21 is so connected electrically and mechanically that under the set of conditions lust described said motorwill rotate to teed theelectrodeRtowai-dtheworkandthiswill continue until the electrode strikes the work at which instant the circuit -voltage is of coursereduced to zero. Thereupon the voltage across thearmatureoisaidmotorwillbe30 v.andin the opposite direction, thus causing the motor to reverse and move the weld rod away from the work Likewise, when the voltage across the arc become equal to the generator voltage, the motor will stop. On the other hand, as the weld rod is consumed. the arc voltage will rise, become greater than the generator voltage, and the motor again operates to feed the weld rod toward the work. Such are voltage will continue to rise until the algebraic sum 01 the arc voltage and of the generator 41 equals the assumed 5 v., i. e. the normal armature voltage of the motor 21.

If for any reason the arc voltage should increase, the voltage across the motor armature will rise above normal and the weld rod be led more rapidly toward the work until such are voltage and the normal armature voltage return to their predetermined values. On the other hand, should the arc voltage decrease, the voltage across the motor armature will drop below normal and the electrode be fed toward the work less rapidly, or actually retracted from the work by a reversal of the motor 21, until the arc voltage and normal armature voltage return to their predetermined values.

It the arc current is increased or the type of weld rod employed is changed so that it becomes necessary to increase the rate of electrode feed without changing the arc voltage, this may be done by decreasing the exciter voltage, thus increasing the normal motor armature voltage and in turn increasing the rate of the electrode iced. Similarly, the rate of electrode teed may be decreased for a given are voltage by increasing the generator voltage.

Where a system of control such as the foregoing is employed, all that it is necessary for the operator'oi my improved apparatus to do is to move the welding tool along the line to be welded at such a rate that a layer of the granular flux material of desired depth is deposited and at the same time keep the lower projecting end of the weld rod within such layer as it traverses the line deposit of a layer 01' such material of approximately uniform depth; the weld rod will then be automatically fed to maintain the proper arc length, irrespective of slight variations in the movement of the welding tool toward and from the work. The rate at which the welding operation proceeds is therefore primarily determined by regulation of the rate at which the flux material is supplied.

Furthermore, by pre-setting such rate 0! flux feed, the rate of welding may be determined or scheduled, inasmuch as the operator will be under a degree 01' compulsion to move the welding tool at a corresponding rate, for any given operation. By thus depositing the flux in the form or a substantially unconfined stream flowing at a selected uniform rate, much the same eii'ect is obtainedaswereanhourglassusedtotimethe progress of the welding operation, the diirerence that the rate or flow oi the material is sub- Ject to variation or setting to suit the conditions ottheparticularweldingiobthatistobeperformed.

Duetothei'actthatthefluxisdepositedinsubstantially unconfined or free railing condition, there is no accumulation or a body or flux at any point beyond the end oi screw conveyor I I, since whenever the welding operation is stopped by shutting oil the supply of current to the weld rod, the depomt of flux is simultaneously stopped. In other words, the amount oi flux left falling in tube 2| after thewelding operation is thus stopped represents the equivalent of only a small portion or the flux which enters into the deep layer or windrow during a given brief interval.

it will be noted that by counterwelghting the co veyor arm II and by suspending the welding tool through the medium 0! a flexible tube in free hanging relation from the support constituted by such tube, the latter will at no time during the welding operation be bent or twisted so as to prevent the flux from falling freely downwardly therethrough as just described. It will further be noted that as a precaution against clogging of the flux in the upper end of the tube, or more particularly in the T-coupling 20, into which the conveyor Ii discharges the flux, the corresponding end of the conveyor tube It projects within the corresponding wall or said T.

To insure that the proper counterbalancing of said tube in and the operative parts supported thereby, once established, will be maintained, not

- only is the flux hopper I I placed directly over.

to be welded. In other words, after the arc is struck all that he need do is to regulate the traversing movement or such weld rod to permit means and the steps .those stated by any mounted wholly independently oi! the parts of the mechanism which are thus counterbalanced. Otherwise as such reel is depleted the depending flexible tube with the welding tool carried thereby would lose the capacity for free manipulation that is achieved by applicant's construction.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead 01' the one explained, change being made as regards the herein disclosed, provided of the following claims or their equivalent be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus for arc welding, the combination of a support, a flexible tube depending in free hanging relation therefrom, means adapted to feed an electrode downwardly through said means adapted to supply granular fluxing material through said first tube in movement to fall without accumulation in the tube.

3. In apparatus for arc welding, the combination of a support, a flexible tube depending in free hanging relation therefrom, a second tube of insulating material disposed approximately centrally within said first tube, means adapted to feed a weld rod continuously downwardly through said second tube, contacts at the lower end of said tube insulatively carried thereinfor supplying current to said weld rod, and means adapted to supply granular fluxing material in free falling condition and in regulatable amount through said first tube in movement to fall without accumulation in the tube 4. In apparatus for arc welding, a hand-manipulated electrode carrier including an arm mounted for movement vertically and horizontally, a counterweightconnected to said arm, a flexible tube depending in free hanging relation from said arm, means adapted to feed a weld-rod downwardly through said tube, and contacts at the lower end of said tube adapted to supply current to said weld rod.

/ 5. In apparatus for arc welding, a hand-manipulated electrode carrier including an arm mounted for movement vertically and horizontally, a

counterweight connected to said arm, a flexible tube depending in free hanging relation from said arm, means adapted to feed a weld-rod downwardly through said tube, contacts at the lower end of said tube adapted to supply current to said weld-rod, and means for supplying granular fluxing material to the upper end of said tube, said last-named means including ahopper mounted on said arm and a screw conveyor ex tending along such arm from said hopper to such upper tube'end.

6. In apparatus for arc welding, the combinatlon of a support including a counterwelghted tubular arm mounted for movement about vertical and horizontal axes, a hopper for supplying granular fiuxing material to such tube, such hopper being located over such axes, a flexible tube dependingin free hanging relation from said arm, means adapted to convey such material from said hopper to the upper end of said tube, means adapted to feed a Weld-roddownwardly through said tube, and contacts at the lower end of said tube adapted to supply current to said weld-mod.

'7. In apparatus for welding, supporting means, a counterweight connected. to said supporting means, a flexible member depending in free hanging relation from the supporting means, and a welding tool attached to the lower end of said member.

ii. In apparatus for welding, supporting means, a counterweight connected to said supporting means, a flexible tube depending in free hanging relation from the supporting means, means adapted to feed a weld-rod downwardly through said tube, means adapted to supply current to said weld-rod, and means for supplying granular fluxing material to said tube.

renames it. sue-interests. 

